Five's A Crowd

forty four

I raise a reluctant eyebrow at Axel and try to break out of his immensely strong grip, but each and every one of my attempts is futile. 

"What could you possibly want to talk about?" I ask, sarcastically, still trying to tug my arm away from my older brother.

Axel sighs in defeat and gently lets go of my arm, looking at me apologetically. He awkwardly rubs the back of his neck, with the opposite hand, as if he regrets the choice of ever coming to talk to me.

"I just wanted to say sorry for earlier. I didn't mean to tease you, or hit you as hard as I did, even though I didn't think it was hard," Axel says, softly, as if he doesn't want anyone else to hear, despite the fact that we're in an empty corridor. 

"It's fine," I gruffly respond, kicking the ground, as if there's a soccer ball there, and it's not just imaginary.

"I'm still learning how to be a good big brother, Hazel," Axel admits, like the idea of being inexperienced is shameful. "Levi, Chase, and Charlie were naturally tough, and aggressive, but you're not like them..."

"What are you trying to infer," I harshly cut in, feeling as if my feminism has been insulted. "Just because I'm a girl, does not mean I'm incapable of being strong."

Quite quickly, Axel's expression morphs from a neutral one to a shocked one. "That's not what I meant, Ze. It's just that we were raised by our father- who was naturally very stoic, while you were raised by mum. In a female household. By yourselves."

However, I didn't hear anything past the word 'Ze'. I never knew that an abbreviation of my name would hit something deep within my body. Never, in the entire time I've known Axel, has he called me by the name, I demand everyone to.

Instead, he's always stuck by Hazel. Just as Matteo does. I vaguely remember him saying something about how he chose it, and how it would remain my name, as long as I'm around him.

God, Matteo's such a party pooper, it's not even funny.

I feel tempted to roll my eyes at the mere thought of Matteo denying to address me by my nickname, even though I demand for him to. 

I honestly believed with my whole heart that Axel would be no different, but I'm pleasantly surprised by the fact, that he just blurted it out, even though we've barely talked, since I began living with him, months ago. 

A large smile forms on my face, and I know that I must resemble the cat from Alice In Wonderland, but I don't care.

"Hazel, why are you smiling like that? Is something wrong? Do you need an ambulance?" Axel asks, dramatically.

"What did you just call me?" I enthusiastically question, practically jumping up and down in excitement. 

"I called you Hazel," Axel recalls in an unsure tone, as if he doesn't even remember what he just said.

Or maybe he doesn't. Maybe it just slipped out, and he isn't even aware of his mistake. 

"No, before that," I continue, wanting to hear my second oldest brother say it again.

"I don't kn-" Suddenly, Axel cuts himself off, as realization plasters itself across his face, before spreading into one of anxiousness. 

"Fuck, I'm sorry, Hazel. I didn't even realise I said it, until you just reminded me. Sorry."

I tilt my head in confusion, but don't correct him, about the fact I'm less than mad or angry, and more ecstatic, or over the mood. 

 "It's fine, Axel. But can you say it one more time, please?" I ask hopefully, giving my brother what I hope it puppy dog eyes.

I clasp my hands in front of my body, and begin begging silently for Axel to repeat his sentence. Or even just the single word. Ze.

"Are you sure?" My second oldest brother asks, timidly, checking the corridor with his eyes, as if he can't be seen doing this.

I nod my head, again and again, desperate for Axel to say it.

"Fine," he finally grumbles, "but you can't beg anyone else like that. It makes you look weak. And not like the mafia woman that you're about to be."

At Axel's drawn out words, I mutter a rude response under my breath, before pretending that I didn't hear any of my brother's unkind sentences.

"Ze." The word sounds beautiful against his tongue, and I have to remind myself why I didn't try to beg my second oldest brother to start saying it earlier.

I'd love if all of my brothers called me Ze, but Matteo is adamant on addressing me as Hazel 100% of the time, and it's annoying. 

On top of that, it is starting to rub off on the rest of my brothers, with lots of them calling me Hazel from time to time, instead of Ze, which is what I prefer. 

"Thank you," I whisper to Axel, and engulf his large body into a semi hug. I don't expect the action to be returned, so I'm more than surprised when Axel's arms wrap around my body, slowly patting my back, in a comforting style. 

"I think I know what I'm going to start calling you from now on, Ze," my second oldest brother exclaims, in his deep voice, as he moves away from the way overdue hug.

I beam at him, and come to realise that I have finally had a solid conversation with each of my brothers, even though it has taken us several months.

I think that I'm beginning to really love this family!

A/N: Hey guys, thank you so much for reading. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE VOTE, COMMENT, AND READ WHEN I GET A CHAPTER OUT TOMORROW. I have a plan for where this book is going, I just need a little support. Also, thank you very much for 23800 reads and over 1k votes- 1149. (I know that it's not a lot,) but to me, it means the world. Keep slaying in life, and I will see you tomorrow night- or day depending on where you live- when I update tomorrow. Bye <3